South American Bushmaster
Lachesis muta
Reptilia
RARE
Stats
- Lifespan
- 12-20 yrs
- Size
- Huge
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Activity
- Nocturnal
- Social
- Solitary
- Biome
- Tropical rainforest
- Range
- South America
- Movement
- Slithering
- Breeding
- Egg-laying
- Defense
- Venom
- Status
- Rare
About
The South American bushmaster is the world's largest pit viper and the longest venomous snake in the Americas, reaching up to 3 metres. It is uniquely oviparous among New World pit vipers — unlike most of its relatives, it lays eggs rather than bearing live young.
Life cycle
- 1.hatchlingA miniature snake emerges from the egg or from its mother (live-bearers), already venomous or strong-coiled in some species.
- 2.juvenileA juvenile sheds its skin, grows quickly, and hunts smaller prey than the adults.
- 3.adultFully grown at adult length and pattern.
Learn more
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Family
- Viperidae
- Genus
- Lachesis
- Species
- Lachesis muta